When to travel and where to go

With more than 24 million travelers expected to fly out of U.S. airports for the July 4th holiday, Channel 9′s Damany Lewis talked to an expert about ways to cut costs while still creating memories this summer.

1. Flexibility

The key to saving on flights and stays? Flexibility, according to Erica Carpenter with the Cupcake Castles Travel Company.

“Flexible on your dates of travel, flexible on your days of week of travel,” Carpenter said.

READ MORE: Delays continue at Charlotte airport

When you’re flexible on the day of departure, mid-week flights can save you hundreds on airfare. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday flights could save you “definitely even hundreds of dollars per person,” Carpenter explained.

If you want to spend your summer on the beach, Charlotte Douglas International Airport has flights to several hot spots, like the Bahamas and St. Lucia.

Carpenter said there are plenty of daily, non-stop flights with some midweek options to these tropical destinations.

2. Get travel insurance

With the already large number of flight cancellations this summer, Carpenter warns travelers to protect their vacation from situations out of their control.

More than 300 flights flying within, in, or out of the United States have been canceled just today, according to FlightAware.

July 4th flight cancellations by WSOC Content Center

3. Check your credit card

Some credit cards offer free trips or deals with points.

travel/” data-ylk=”slk:Forbes;elm:context_link;itc:0″ class=”link “>Forbes recently released their list of the best travel credit cards for July 2023.

(WATCH: Charlotte Douglas could see record-breaking holiday weekend)